Clutch-pedal latch



June 24, 1924. 1,498,926

c. 1 NEAL CLUTCH PEDAL LATCH 'Filed oct. .15, 1923 2 sheets-sneu 1 wml 20 alli/m,

June 24, 1924. 1,498,926 n C. L. NEAL CLUTCH PEDAL LATCH Filed 00L l5. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 24, 1924.

CHARLES L. NEAL, OF LEWISBURG, WEST VIRGINIA..-

CLUTGI-IFEEDAL LATCH.

To @ZZ whom t may concern: I

Be it known that I. CHARLES L. NEAL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lewisburg, in the county of Greenbrierand State of West` Virginia, have invented certain Y new and useful Improvements in Clutch-Pedal Latches, of' which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to clutch pedal latches, and has particular reference to the provision of` means latching the clutch pedals of Ford type automobiles in low gear position, and by means of whichthe operator of the automobile will be relieved ofk the necessity for applying footpressureupon the clutch pedal to retain the latter in such position.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a latching device of the above character which embraces the desired qualities of simplicity, durability, and eliiciency in operation.

Another object is to provide such a pedal latching device which will not interfere with the ready removal of the foot boards of the vehicle when access is desired to parts therebeneath.

A further object of the invention is to provide a latch of the above kind embodying a foot operated latch lever having simple and effective means for attaching the same to the clutch pedal.

Still anotherob'iect of the invention is to provide means for automatically holdingthe latch lever in raised released position, and means toinsure retention of the latch lever in locking position against said raising means, when 'the clutch lever is released in its latched low gear position, the retaining means being of such nature as to permit au tomatic release of the latch lever under the influence of the raising means upon slight forward depression of the clutch pedal from its low Agear position.

With the aboveV general objects in view, and Others that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel form, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and claimed.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

v Figure l is a-fragmentary view, partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal Application led October 15, 192e. `Seria-1 No. 668,633.

section, showing a latching device constructed in accordance with the present invention, operatively associated with the foot boardV and clutch pedal of an automobile.

Figure 2 is a view partly in top plan and partly in horizontal section, of the device shown in Figure l, with the line of section extending through the clutch pedal above the latch l'ever attaching clamp.`

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the latch plate.

Fiffure 4 is a front elevational view of the device shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the latch lever attaching clamp with the bolts thereof removed.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary bottom plan. View of the latch lever drawn on a larger scale. y

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view, taken substantially upon the line 7 7 of Fi gure 2, and

Figure 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the plunger of the latch lever raising or releasing means.

Referring more in detail to the drawings. 5 indicates the foot board of an automobile that is usually provided directly in front of the drivers seat and that generally consists of a forward inclined section, and a rear horizontal section which are adapted to be removed for permitting access to parts of the automobile arranged therebeneath. The forward inclined section of the foot board is provided with a longitudinally elongated slot 6, and the usual clutch pedal 7 extends upwardly through this slot for swingingl movement therein longitudinally of the'vehicle.

As is well known in the art, the clutch pedal 7 is normally swung rearwardly to a high gear position by means of a relatively strong spring,the pedal being manually moved forward to a central or neutral position, and still further forwardly to a low gear position. Obviously, when the pedal 7 is depressed or forced to its forward limit of movement in low gear position, the actuating spring thereof is under its greatest tension andY considerable effort is required, on the part of the operator to maintain the pedal in this low gearfposition. The object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide elfective means for relieving` the driver or operator of the vehicle from the necessity of exerting pressure at such time for maintaining the clutch pedal 7 in its .low gear position.

In the form of the. invention shown, l

provide a foot operated latch lev yr that is pivoted at its forward end as at 9 to substantially U-shaped clamp member l0.

tend longitudinally of the vehicle rearwardly from the clutch pedal 7 shown clearly in YFigure l, The clamp member ln has aligned apertures in the forward free ends of the legs thereof, as at l2. through which extendsa bolt 13 having'a nut 'lt threaded upon one end thereof and by means of which the legs of the clamps are caused to be ieXed into close embracing relation with the shank of the rclutch pedal 7 as shown clearly in Figure 2. at a point directly `beneath the foot piece l provided upon the upper end of the pedal. transverse latch is provided at l@ at the forward side of the pedal 7v in which the bolts 13 seat, and the central rear portion of th;Y`

clamp member 10 is provided with an arcuate depending member 17 that embraces the rear side of the clutch pedal for there by preventing tilting of the clamp members l0 relative to the clutch pedal or vertical displacement of the clamp member relative to the same. The member 17 of the clamp member is ydisposed against the rearwardly7 directed upper end portion of the clutch pedal 7 as shown in Figure 1 for this purpose.

rFhe foot lever 8 is of angular form so that the forward end portion thereof occupies an inclined position when operative ly disposed with the rear end portion thereof lying substantially parallel with the hori zontal rear portion of the foot board 5. and such rear portion has its central part longitudinally depressech as at 18, with said depressed portion formed with a. series of transversely extending` ratchet teeth 19 upon the under side thereof. i

A. latch plate 2O is suitably secured upon the horizontal rear portion of the foot hoard 5, being provided with corner screw receiving openings 21 for this purpose` and saidlatch plate is provided with a pair of rigid longitudinally extending spaced parallel ribs 22 upon the upper side there of. between which the depressed tooth portion 18 of the foot lever 8 is slidably guided -for movementV longitudinally of the vehiclel The latch plate is provided with a. transverse tooth 23 that connects the rib 22 and is formed to cooperate with the teeth 19 for preventing rearward movement of the foot lever 8 'and the clutch pedal 7 to which the latter is attached when these teeth interengaged.i altho permitting free forward movement of the pedal 7 and lever S. The longitudinal or side portion of the lever 8 at opposite sides of the depressed portion 18 are arranged to overlie the upper edges of the rim so that the space hetweenr saidribs is somewhate'ltectively covered for greatlj.Y acting to exclude entrance of dust between the rim,

'The latch plate 20 is provided with a central depending socket member at the forward end thereof and at the rear side of which the ratfhet tooth is located. said socket member 24 being adapted to extend downwardly through a suitable opening provided in the switch board as at A plunger is carried by the socket member 24! and includes a stein 26 that is arranged centrally of said socket member and slidabl;- projects through a central opening 27 that provided in the bottom wall thereofr` the head 28 being provided upon the upper end of the stem 26 and slidably ytitted in the socket of the member whereby the plunger is effettively guided in its vertical movement. yThe plunger is thus located beneath the hori- Zontal rear end portion of the foot lever f2 with the head 28 disposedfto engage the under side thereof in front of the tooth 255. and this plunger is normally pressed upwardlj,Y b v means of a compression spring 29 that is arranged within the socket of the member 24 and encircles the stem 26 between the bottom of said socket and the head 2S of the plunger. The construction thus described. provides means, therefore, for normally raising the foot lever 8 so to disengage the same from the tooth of the latch 20. whereby movement of the clutch pedal 7 in either direction is freely permitted under ordinary conditions. A cotter pin 30 may be extended throughA the lower end of the pin 26 beneath the bottom wall of the socket lever 24 for limiting` the upward movement of the plunger. altho any other suit-able means may be provided for this purpose.

In operation. the clutch pedal .7 is pressed forwardly to low gear position with the heel. of the operator out of contact with the lever 8 so as to not apply pressure thereon. As soon the clutch pedal reaches the low gear position` the operator forces downwardly upon the lever 8 by pressure of the heel thereon so as to depress the spring pressed plunger carried by the socket lever 24. and to bring` the adjacent one of the teeth 19 into engagement with the tooth 23 of the latch plate. llVhile still maintaining a slight pressure upon the foot lever S, the pressure is relieved from the clutch pedal 7 and the spring of the latter forces the lever 8 rearwardly with sufcient. strength as to cause a lll binding action between the adjacent faces of the inter engaging teeth 19 and 23 so as to offset the action of the spring 29 and therebyY latch said clutch pedal in its low gear position. The operator is thus relieved of the necessity of applying and maintaining pressure upon the pedal 7 for any extended period during which it is desired to maintain said pedal in low gear position. However, upon slight forward pressure upon the clutch pedal Y without applying pressure upon the lever 8, the friction between the interengaging teeth of the latch plate and foot lever will be destroyed, so as to permit the spring 29 to force the plunger upwardly and thereby cause upward swinging move ment of the foot lever 8 for disengaging in teeth from the tooth 23. The clutch pedal 7 may then be released or relieved of pressure and is then free to move rearwardly either to neutral or high gear position.

From the foregoing description. it is believed that the construction and operation, as well as the advantages of the present invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled inthe art.

Minor changes may be made without departing from the `spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

In combination with the clutch pedal of a motor vehicle normally spring pressedv to a rearward high gear position and manually depressible to a forward lowgear position, a foot operated latch lever having its forward end givoted to the upper end of the clutch pedal for vertical swinging means associated with thegrear end of said latch lever for automatically retaining the clutch pedal in forward low gear position when the latch lever is depressed and the clutch lever is released at its forward low gear position, and means to automatically raise the latch lever in its inoperative position upon slight forward depression of the clutch pedal from its forward low gear position whereby the clutch pedal may return to its rearward position` the means associated with the latch lever for holding the clutch pedal in its forward low gear position comprising a fixed transversely extending ratchet tooth and transverse ratchet teeth cooperating with said tooth and provided on the under side of the rear portion of the latch lever,y a latch plate having a depending socket member, said first named transverse tooth being formed upon the latch plate at the rear side of the socket member, and the latch lever raising means comprising a normally raised spring pressed plunger carried by the socket member and engaging the under side of the rear portion of said latch lever.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

CHARLES L. NEAL.

movement, 

